IN THE CLEAR
Gunners confident of no issues
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ARSENAL claim that up to eight staff and players will get the all-clear today after their coronavirus scare.
Four members of the backroom team and a small number of first-team players – the club say less than five – have been in self-isolation, resulting in the postponement of last night’s Premier League game at Manchester City.
The Premier League’s biggest fear is a player testing positive and a club having to shut down for two weeks – threatening the completion of the season.
The Arsenal scare came when Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis admitted he had contracted the virus after being at the Emirates for their Europa League tie on February 27.
The Gunners insist that no one has shown any symptoms and they will get the 14-day all-clear today, with nobody being asked to take the test.
The club believe that as the virus often takes between five and seven days to show symptoms, the likelihood is that Marinakis did not have the virus when he attended the game.
Arsenal became aware on Tuesday of the implications and potential knock-on effects and asked for the City game to be postponed, receiving special permission from the Premier League and support from the Etihad.
They are confident that there is no issue for West Ham, who they played last Saturday, while this weekend’s trip to Brighton will be unaffected.
Nottingham
Forest’s players have all been cleared after shaking hands with Marinakis – who also owns the Championship club – before the match against Millwall last Friday.
Guidelines have been issued by The Professional Footballers’ Association to players, which include never sharing a water bottle, washing hands and never sharing towels or personal items.
Deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes said: “We are discussing with governing bodies, not only in the UK but also globally, to ascertain the best advice and information for our members.
“It is important to stress that this is a public health issue, not just for football. That should be on the forefront of everybody’s minds.”
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